DIY plant tentacles

Learn how to make these easy DIY tentacles to make your indoor and outdoor plants festive all Halloween long.

This turned into one of my favorite Halloween projects! So much in fact, I’ve made them twice! I need some for my indoor plants as well as my outdoor plants! Luckily, it’s a pretty easy project so you can create some too!

Supplies to make Plant tentacles

Insulating foam
Plastic tablecloth or garbage bag
white spray paint
black acrylic paint
skewers
sealant spray

The foam I used is from Walmart and is a lot cheaper in the store than it is on Amazon! I like the one that only expands up to 1 inch because that means the tenticles don’t get too large as they dry.

There are quite a few different varieties. I know Home Depot and Lowe’s sell some as well. Here is an expanding insulating foam I found online that is a good brand I’ve used before – but I’m pretty sure this one is cheaper in stores to.

Plant tentacles DIY

Step 1: Prep your area

I don’t think the foam keeps after it’s been opened. I usually plan on using the whole can. So I put out a big plastic tablecloth to keep my work space covered. This stuff can be really messy when it’s wet! It’s also flammable and has a little bit of smell (not too bad, but in case you are sensitive to smells). Doing this in a garage with the door open might be a good idea!

Step 2: spray out

When you start spraying out the foam, you are going to want tenticle shapes. Bigger on the bottom, going to smaller at teh top. I make squiggles and letter S shapes. The foam sometimes comes out in burst so you might have a large chunk at the bottom. It take s a little practice. Your first few might look a little rough!

Make sure you go both ways. Letter S and then letter S backwards. The foam will be flat on the backside, so they only really look good from the top. You are going to want tenticles of all sizes, big small, curly, wavy etc!

Let dry. about 12-24 hours. They should peel up from the plastic super easy!

Step 3: Spray paint white

The foam I use is a little more Ivory colored. I spray-painted all the tentacles white to give me a good base.

Step 4: Paint stripes

I was going for sandworm in Beetlejuice vibes, so I went with a black and white stripe. You, of course, can paint these up however you heart desires!

Using black acrylic paint, I just painted stripes.

To make the stripes look a little more realistic, I make them a little thinner where the curves are to enhance each bend.

Let dry.

Step 5: Sealant

I planned on putting these outside in my front door planter, so I gave them a quick coat of water p roof sealant to help protect them from the elements! If you are only planning on using them indoors, you can skip this step.

Step 6: Add in a pick

To help these stick better in my planters, I snipped some wood skewers in half and poked them in the bottom of the tentacles. I added a touch of hot glue to help keep them from sliding out.

These are also very lightweight, so if you are going to have wind blowing by them, secure them really well!

Step 6: Enjoy and Repeat!

Once you are done, you can place these tenticles in all your pots and planters! They are so cute they you will probably want to make a few more and a few more and a few more!

I had them outside and then had to make a few more because I loved how they looked in my indoor planters, so I made even more!

Look how cool they look on my plant shelf!

Save DIY Plant tentacles project for Later

Too busy to get crafting today? No problem! Pin this post to remind yourself about this project later! Sharing my projects helps me reach more people, allowing me to continue sharing free content!

OTHER totally cute Halloween projects

ghost and candy corn garland
Halloween cut files
Creepy Doormat
Pool noodle candles
Halloween sensory game
Yard monsters
Halloween play doh printables
Trivia game (free printable)
DIY spell Book
Halloween golf
Classroom party games
Spooky dinner ideas with free printables
mummy door for your front door board
DIY witch’s broom
Table decorations for Halloween